Prague Castle launches months-long festival honoring Václav Havel

Prague Castle will host a multi-genre festival dedicated to former Czech President Václav Havel, with the program kicking off on October 4 and running through January of next year. Many of the events will be free of charge, and an online exhibition drawn from the Prague Castle archive will offer an additional look at Havel as a statesman, organizers announced.

"Václav Havel was a many-sided personality. He was not only a statesman, but also a writer, philosopher, humanist and playwright. We believe it's important to keep reminding people of his values and legacy," said Milan Vašina, head of the Office of the President of the Republic.

Havel was born on October 5, 1936, and died on December 18, 2011. The program marking what would have been his anniversary begins on October 4 with guided tours of Prague Castle focused on the changes that took place during his presidency, along with tours of Lány Chateau.

Design and the president's personal belongings

On October 5 — Havel's birthday — the exhibition "Design for Václav Havel" will open at Prague Castle's Riding School, forming part of the Designblok festival program. Visitors will see objects created at Havel's initiative, including the "Olga" armchair by designer Bořek Šípek and other pieces by him, as well as the Prague Castle Guard uniforms designed by Theodor Pištěk. According to Designblok director Jana Zielinski, Pištěk also designed costumes for the president himself. Visitors will also be able to see the president's study, complete with his library.

As Zielinski notes, Havel's legacy at the Castle is being carried on by current President Petr Pavel, who continues to commission work from contemporary designers — the exhibition will feature a newly designed, modern-style presidential lectern.

Premiere of a rediscovered play

On October 23, Divadlo v Dejvicích will stage the Czech premiere of Havel's recently rediscovered play "The Warning." The one-act play, featuring two characters — Ferdinand Vaněk and secret police agent Šeržík — was found in the archive of writer and Charter 77 signatory Zdeněk Urbánek by his grandson David Dužek, who also chairs the board of trustees of the institution formerly known as the Václav Havel Library.

Three premiere performances of the play, directed by Jiří Havelka and starring Ivan Trojan and Martin Myšička, will take place at the Riding School of Prague Castle. The same venue will host a farewell performance on November 4 of Havel's play "Tomorrow We'll Get to It, or Who's the Gentleman Here," which Divadlo v Dejvicích has been staging since 2018.

Debates, films and lectures

At the Riding School, philosophers Alice Koubová and Lenka Karfíková, together with philosopher Tomáš Kobliček, will discuss democracy and the future of Europe — this debate on October 22 opens the series "Thinking About Havel Live." Other discussion topics include "Between the Individual and the System" and "Politics and Spiritual Values." According to cultural and program director Veronika Wolf, the festival will also feature programs for teachers and finalists of the prestigious Global Teacher Prize.

On October 14, the Upper Burgrave's Office will screen the film "Citizen Havel" by directors Pavel Koutecký and Miroslav Janek. The same venue will host a screening on December 15 of Havel's film "Leaving," followed by a discussion with the former president's widow, Dagmar Havlová. On October 8, the same location will host a lecture by Pavel Klusák titled "All the President's Rockers."

The Faculty of Music and Dance at the Academy of Performing Arts will also join the program with original works inspired in part by Havel's "Anticodes" — students and faculty will hold a gala evening titled "Havel: Inspiration for a New Generation" on November 18. The festival will also see the announcement, on January 14, of the winner of the Jindřich Chalupecký Award for art.

Read also: Prague Castle from the inside: 9 must-see spots within the fortress

Source: seznamzpravy.cz